Snap-on marker



May 7, 1963 w. A. PLUMMER 3,088,237

SNAP-0N MARKER Filed March 1e, 1959 2 sheets-sheet 1 A56 MAA/UCACTZ/Q//VG CO.

SMMMMHM.

INVENTOR. (/MLTE/J A PLU/WM5?? States Unite This invention relates tomarking devices for attachment to articles to be marked or labeled andmore particularly to an improved snap-on, snap-off marker particularlyadapted to be secured about electrical cables, conduits, ducts and thelike and having permanently imprinted thereon indicia conveying usefulinformation.

Cables, wiring systems, conduits, ducts and the like objects used inelectrical equipment, plumbing systems, air conditioning systems and thelike have need for a compact readily applied and detached informationtag or marker which is immune to attack by conditions commonlyencountered in the operating environment. A suitable marker should becompact, not subject to displacement along the object tagged and shouldmeet other and diverse field requirements. Marker tags have beenproposed heretofore in a great variety of forms utilizing various tieexpedients for convenience in attaching and detaching the tag from theobject being marked. These proposals are subject to many disadvantagesand shortcomings sought to be obviated by the present invention. Forexample, prior marker tags are unsightly, droop in random manner fromthe article being marked Where they are subject to damage if notdestruction by other objects in the vicinity. Additionally, such tagsrequire complex and time-consuming manipulation of the ties provided forattaching them to the object being marked. Additionally and importantly,the information carried thereby is not presented in a desired uniformposition for convenience in reading.

By the present invention, there is provided a simple, one-piece markerformed from thin flexible resilient material not subject to attack bymoisture, the elements and a wide variety of other both gaseous andliquid products. The marker is adapted to be snapped on and snapped otfrom an assembled position about the object being marked with a minimumexpenditure of time and effort and preferably embraces the object underslight tension thereby assuring sufficient friction to preventunintended and accidental shifting of the marker from its desiredassembled position. Another feature is the fact that the marker isadapted to be manufactured in a continuous operation from a continuousstrip of the main body material and a continuous pair of interlockingslide fastener strips. According to one preferred technique, the bodystrip is passed through an indicia imprinting station as the oppositelateral edges of other portions of the strip are fused to complementaryinterlocking slide fastener tapes. Thereafter the strip is severed intoseparate markers crosswise of the strip at points between separatedgroups of the imprinted indicia. The individual markers may then bepackaged iiat until ready for application to the part being marked, theassembly operation merely requiring that a marker be wrapped about theobject and stretched taut as the interlocking tapes are pressed intolocking engagement with one another.

Accordingly, the primary purpose of the present invention is to providean improved marker formed in one integral part having its opposite edgesshaped to interlock with one another in a manner to hold the samepositively but detachably assembled about an object to be marked.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a detachable markerfor use on cables, bundles of wires, conduits, ducts andthe likecomprising a band of ilexible 3,9%,237 Patented May 7, 1963 2. materialimpressed with indicia on one surface and formed with complementaryinterlocking fastener means by which the same can be held assembledabout the object being marked with the indicia exposed in a desiredposition.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a one-piece markerformed from thin exble resilient plastic material having slide fastenertapes fused to its opposite ends and adapted to interlock with oneanother when the marker is held stretched taut about the circumferenceof the object to be marked.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved methodof making markers imprinted with indicia in a continuous operation usinga continuous strip of body material and a pair of interlocking slidefastener tapes fused along the opposite lateral edges of theindiciabearing strip and severable into individual markers as theconcluding step of the method.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading thefollowing specification and claims and upon considering in connectiontherewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings in which preferred embodiments of theinvention are illustrated:

FIGURE l is a perspective View of an electric cable showing a markeraccording to the present invention assembled thereabout;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the marker on an enlarged scale whileoutstretched in a flat unfolded condition;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 onFIGURE 2 showing the indicia as comprising raised letters integral withthe body strip of the marker;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG- URE 3 but showing analternate manner of molding the lettering into the body strip so thatthe surface of the letters is depressed slightly below the surface ofthe body strip; and

FIGURE 5 is a schematic View showing one preferred method ofmanufacturing the markers attached together as part of a continuousstrip of the constituent materials until the final operation in whichthe individual markers are severed from the continuous strip.

Referring more particularly to FIGURES l and 2, there is shown a markerincorporating the present invention and designated generally .10. Thismarker is conveniently formed from a thin flexible resilient strip `'11having heat fused crosswise of its opposite ends the web 12 of anysuitable slide fastener tape designated generally 13, d6. Slide fastenertapes 13 may be of any suitable configuration having complementalinterlocking detents readily interengaged by pressing the itnerlockingparts together. There are commercially available various tapes of thisgeneral nature and which can be used in making markers incorporating theprinciples of this invention. A particularly suitable tape constructionis illustrated in FIGURE 2 as having continuous ridges or tongues 14, 14parallel to one another formed to interfit with complementary separatinggrooves 15, *15, the tape preferably having the configuration shown inco-pending application for United States Letters Patent Serial No.687,569, tiled October l, 1957. As is made clear by FIGURE 2, the tongueand groove portions of one tape 13 face in the opposite direction fromthose of the other tape 1-3 along the opposite edge of the marker. Thisdisposition brings the two pair of tongues and grooves into matingposition when the marker is Wrapped about an object as, for example, thecable indicated at `16 in FIGURE 1.

To avoid any possibility of the slide fastener tapes 13, 13 becomingpartially or fully disassembled by relative Amanner as by known silkscreen technique.

unintentional endwise shifting of tongues 14 along grooves 15, it ispreferred that one of the tapes 13 be made longer than the correspondingtape on the other -end ofthe marker. To this end, ,tape 113 at the-topof Athe FIGUREZ is Vlonger than tape 13 across the lower `endY of marker10, the latter having been notched or cut back as indicated at 20, V20in order that its tongues may mate with grooves of the other tape in thearea between abutments 2'1, 21 across the opposite ends of thesegrooves. Abutments 21, 2&1 are preferably formed by Ythe application of.heat and pressure using a heated forming tool applied to the oppositeends of the longer tape. Alternatively, abutments 21 may comprise shortsegments of the tongue and groove sections of the tape pressedintoimating relation with the tipends of the longerrtape 13 and fused oradhesively bonded in place therein.

The outer surface of marker 10 is imprinted with any Ydesired indiciawith which it is desired to label the object undergoing marking. Indicia18 ('FIGURE 2) may be imprinted on marker 10 in various Ways. One modeAmakes use of a vinyl paint in a suitable contrasting color applied tothe surface of body strip 1-1 in any suitable Indicia formed in thismanner is particularly durable when applied to plastic stripping fromwhich the marker proper is desirably made, as for example, polyvinylchloride, polyethylene, and the like being particularly suitable andeconomical.

Other particularly desirable modes of imprinting indicia on strip 11 areillustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, land make useof heated platens overwhich body strip l11 is passed under sufficient pressure and heat forbody -strip 11or -11"1to ow about the lettering. In FIGURE 3, the raisedlettering is embossed upon the surface whereas in the alternate modeillustrated in FIGURE 4, lettering 18 is depressed below the surfacelevel of body strip 11". Either theV raised or depressed lettering maybe Ydistinctly colored with respect to the surface proper of the bodystrip to enhance its readability. In certain kinstallations theprominence of colored lettering may be undesirable in which case theletters are left uncolored and are readable only by close examination ofthe marker.

The application of the described markers to cables, conduits, etc., isreadily apparent from the foregoing detailed description of the markerconstruction. It is pointed out than-though the marker may be looselyassembled about a cable, preferably the length of the marker is sodesigned as to embrace the same tautly or under slight tension. Inconsequence of this and the gripping action characteristic of thesurfaces of resilient plastic materials, assurance is provided ofadequate frictional contact of the marker with the object to preventrotation or movement of the marker along the cable from its yintendedassembled position.

Detachment .of the marker from its assembled position Vis accomplishedeasily and quickly by lifting the appropriate upper corner of one of thetapes and pulling it upwardly out of locked engagement progressivelyalong the length of the seam.

Referring now to FIGURE 5, there is illustrated one Vpreferred mode ofassembling the described marker in a continuous manner and without needfor hand labor. A suitably supported supply reel 2S is arranged todispense a continuous strip 26 of appropriate width body material forthe markers. This strip is advanced through an indicia imprintingstation 27, containing rolls 28 or other equivalent known means forimprinting or molding de- Vsired indicia into one surface of the stripand in longitudinally spaced areas. Disposed along the path of travel ofstrip 26 are pairs of feed rolls 29 arranged to be driven at the samespeed.

Strip 26 then continues to be advanced while held flat 'through asecuring station 30 along with a pair of continuous slide fastener tapes31, 31 from reels 32. Supply reels 32 may be suitably supported on aspindle 33 an'd cooperate with rolls 34 disposed on the opposite sidesof web 26 to guide tapes 31 into overlapping mating position with theopposite lateral edges of strip 26. As the accurately positioned stripelements are advanced through securing station 30 they may be adhesivelyjoined by any well known means or, preferably, the juxtaposed edges ofthe mating strips are heat fused together by means such as thatdisclosed in my co-pending application for Letters Patent Serial No.777,817, led December `1, 1958.

The Lassembled strip issuing from securing station 30 passes throughadditional feed rolls 29 and then through severing means such as a pairof severing rollers 38, 39 where the continuous strip isV separated intoindividual markers 10. Any suitable means may be provided for severingthe assembled stripping into the markers at appropriate pointsintermediate adjacent groups of indicia 18, 18. In the arrangementshown, the severing means comprises a roller 38 having a circumferentialmeasurement corresponding to the width of the finished marker 10.Disposed lengthwise thereof is a sharp blade 40 which cooperates withthe resilient back-up roll 39 to sever the assembled strips intoseparate markers which drop onto an underlying stack in readiness forpackaging and shipping.

It will be recognized that the described marker may be made by variousother methods and ineither a continuous and noncontinu-ous mannerdepending upon the particular assembly procedure adopted. However, themethod illustrated in FIGURE 5 and described in connection 'therewith ispreferred because of the uniform results obtainable, the rapidity withwhich the operation can be carried out and the fact that no labor otherthan supervisory attention is required once the continuous strips ofvmaterial are threaded through the described stations.

While the particularl snap-on marker herein shown and disclosed indetail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing theadvantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merelyillustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention andthat no limitations are intended to the details of construction ordesign herein ushown other than as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A snap-on type indicia-carrying one-piece marker adapted to be packagedflat until required for application about an article to be marked andthen to be wrapped about the article and snapped in place thereabout insnug tting frictional engagement with the object, saidrmarker comprisinga thin flexible strip of resilient material having suitable indiciaimprinted permanently to one surface thereof, the opposite end portionsof said strip having affixed crosswise thereof slide fastener stripshaving complementally shaped interfitting tongues and grooves formed ofpliant material lying parallel to the axis of article encircled therebyand adapted to be pressed into high-strength positive mating engagementby finger pressure without needfor auxiliary devices or accessories ofany kind, the opposite ends of said marker strip formed Vwith saidintertting tongues and grooves being of diiferposition to preventrelative lengthwise sliding movement of said tongues and grooves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,298,981 Loughridge Apr. l, 1919 1,779,496 Scott Oct. 28, 1930 (Otherreferences on following page) 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Bockerman Dec. 12,1933 Hosteck Feb. 4, 1936 Sipe Mar. 31, 1936 Giovanni Jan. 30, 1940Goldstein Apr. 26, 1949 6 Anderson Mar. 7, 1950 Bailhe July 11, 195()Kidd July 24, 1956 Kuyk Mar. 22, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS England Nov. 7,1956

